Empress of All Seasons

by Emiko Jean

During a once-in-a-generation competition to find the new empress, Mari, who hides a terrible secret, Taro, the prince who would denounce the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human outcast, will decide the fate of Honoku.

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple: survive the palace's enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. Only the yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits, are not eligible to compete. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress-- but she is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. Her fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast. Their choices will ultimately decide the fate of Honoku. -- adapted from jacket

• ISBN10: 0358108268
• ISBN13: 9780358108269
• Publish Date: 19 November 2019 (first published 6 November 2018)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Clarion Books
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I spent the last several hours forcing myself to give EMPRESS OF ALL SEASONS a chance and now I am. Just. Tired.

The ideas used in this book are phenomenal - the Season rooms were a personal favorite and had an amazing aesthetic. The struggles between the yokai and the humans was also a brilliant touch. But that's sort of where my interest in EMPRESS OF ALL SEASONS stops because the execution was messy at best. For one, we have too many POVs. I love books with multiple POVs, but they have to have a purpose. At least one of the POVs here was completely unnecessary, and his POV could have been effortlessly cut without affecting the overall story. We have interesting minor characters that aren't explored and major characters that keep getting cut breaks because to have them struggle and earn their place would slow the story down. This story rockets so fast that you don't have time to get to know anyone or experience anything.

And that's what frustrated me most of all. Stylistically, I really feel like EMPRESS OF ALL SEASONS fell short. The writing isn't compelling, the characters poorly explored, the objectives too easily gained... it just wasn't satisfying. And I'm sad because I really liked the idea and I REALLY liked the possibilities of the adventures to be had and dangers to be experienced in each of the Season rooms that never happened because they were rushed through. Disappointed. I am disappointed and unsatisfied.

For a more in-depth reviews as well as other bookish content, head on over to The Literary Phoenix.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 3.75(?) Stars

Don’t you love when you write an actual long, complete review and you’re about to press done and your phone dies? Love it. Love it.

I did love the outcome (sort of... some parts of the ending I HATED) and the premise of this one... things were just... missing.

Possible RTC. Trying desperately not to fall down a book slump rabbit hole...

[Briana @ Pages Unbound]

Initial Thoughts: Definitively should have been two books. The ending is rushed and the characters' actions/motivations/personalities are underdeveloped. What could have been a really strong book just fizzled out and didn't make much sense at the end.

[Jo]

Originally published on Once Upon a Bookcase

Trigger warning: This book features child abuse/neglect, body shaming, and slavery.

I was really looking forward to Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean. A high fantasy inspired by Ancient Japan and Japanese folklore sounded incredible. But I finished the book feeling a little let down.

In a world where humans rule, and yōkai, supernatural beings are feared and loathed, Mari is an Animal Wife; a yōkai who has two forms; one a beautiful woman, the other a beast. An Animal Wife's purpose is to trick men into marriage and then steal their fortune for their people. But Mari isn't fully formed; she isn't overwhelmingly beautiful like the rest of her people, and nor can she transform fully into her beast. Unable to to fulfil her purpose like other Animal Wives, her mother has trained her for a grander target: to become empress. You do not need to be beautiful in order to become empress, you just need to be the last woman standing in a competition where entrants have to survive four brutal seasonal rooms in the Palace of Illusions, where death is likely. She has trained her whole life to survive this competition, to become empress, to bring her people the largest fortune possible. But Mari just wants a life of freedom, a life without obligation, a life without the whole before the self. When she makes it to the palace, she discovers the yōkai in magical collars weakening their abilities, enslaving them, and people who would rather see them dead, she realises there isn't much chance of her ever finding freedom, or other yōkai.

Taro, prince of Honoku abhors his position. He doesn't want to be prince, he doesn't want to become emperor, and he doesn't want to be the prize in a competition power-hungry women are fighting for. He wants his own life, free to make his own choices. But when he meets Mari, and is startled and intrigued by the way she treats him, he finds himself wanting to know her more, wanting her to survive the competition.

Akira, Son of Nightmares, is half yōkai, half human, and Mari's friend. He's been in love with her since they were young, and hates the idea of her competing to become empress, of her marrying yōkai, he worries about what this will mean for Mari. The actions of Mari, Taro and Akira will have far reaching consequences, and they will change the world.

'Animal wives were born for a singular purpose: To trick men into marriage and then steal their fortunes. Men are conditioned to take. Women are conditioned to give, Mari's mother once told her. Long ago, our clan decided to stop giving and start taking.'(p17)*

I really, really wanted to love Empress of All Seasons, I really did.  Being a YA high fantasy novel that is inspired by Ancient Japan, written by a woman of colour - the kind of book we really need - I was so hoping it would be incredible. The premise is amazing, and there was just so much to love, so that is what I'll talk about first. The world of Honoku is awesome, with the Japanese folklore that heavily inspired it. The yōkai are just so fascinating, so many different kinds of supernatural creatures that kept me googling whenever I came across a new one, to see artist's impressions. The creation story of the world, and the various gods and goddesses, and how they influenced the world we have today, and their own stories and how they treated each other, and the ramifications this had on the world and it's people.

The story is narrated by Mari, Akira and Taro. The yōkai are not seen as people, but as monsters. They are enslaved, controlled, and killed. With Mari competing to become empress, she's putting herself in such a dangerous situation; if anyone found out, she'd be dead. With Taro's narration, we get to see exactly what the Emperor thinks of yōkai, his disgust and his terrible treatment. He believes a yōkai killed his wife, the Empress, when Taro was born, and now all yōkai must be controlled, and any sign of going against the Emperor leads to death. Taro doesn't think like his father does, but his father will not listen to him, and doesn't really care about Taro anyway. He isn't the son he should be, wanting more, tinkering away in his workshop, engineering toys. Through Akira's narration, we discover more about how the yōkai are planning to fight back. We meet Hanako, the Weapons Master, a collared Snow Girl yōkai who, uncollared, can kill a person with her ice cold touch. She is the leader of the revolution, planning a war to overthrow the Emperor, and free her people. Hanako is spunky and funny, and probably my most favourite character in the book. And then we have the competition itself. Hundreds of women competing in rooms that are transformed into extremes of the world in each season, trying to survive, work out the riddle they are given, and finding the scrolls that will allow them to go forward in the competition. The rooms are brutal, and difficult, and in those rooms we see the worst of humanity and the best.

Empress of All Seasons is also wonderfully feminist. Honoku is a patriarchal world, and Animal Wives are taught what men expect of them, in order to find their husbands.

'The first and foremost lesson taught to Animal Wives was to be likable. A woman must be gentle and kind, never outspoken'. (p77)*

'Tami had dusted the girls with perfumes and powders and imparted advice: Men like the smell of self-worth, confidence. You must know your mind and speak it, but not too often. Men fear intelligent women. It means they are capable of anything. You must laugh, but not be funny. You must be spirited, but not strong'. (p142)*

And yet they are also taught not to give in.

'Men are conditioned to take. Women are conditioned to give. Never let a man take anything from you. Your smiles, your humor, your body. She remembered her mother's words' (p99)*

And it's no surprise that women would compete in a competition to become empress, the most powerful woman, when their lives can be so difficult.

'Nori laced her fingers together and looked down at them. "I've often been told that I'm beautiful." Her lips twitched in disgust. "Most of the time it is because someone wants something from me, usually a man -- a smile when I was young, and later, my body. Before I left, a farmer named Jun proposed, and I remember looking into his face and thinking, He doesn't know me at all. When I rejected him, he grew spiteful, like I should've been elated that he wanted me. He said unkind things about me. I can't even repeat them. Then he set his tongue to wagging, spreading rumors about me. People are always so eager to believe what is untrue. He said we spent the night together. It was enough for my family to stop speaking to me. I was a leper in my own home."' (p170)*

'"I know why you're here. It's why I'm here too. Why we all are, I imagine." Asami's eyes glowed, two burning coals. "We've been pushed around and forced into quiet rooms out whole lives. Nobody's ever asked us what we wanted. The prize isn't the prince. It's the power."
Mari's eyes lifted from the fire to Asami. Her gazed pivoted back and forth between Asami and Nori, sweeping over them like water.
Nori bit her lip. "You're right. After I rejected Jun, my father sat me down and said, 'You are pretty and want too much.' I asked him, 'What is too much? Love? Equality?' He said, 'Yes. You are pretty. That should be enough.'"' (p170-171)*

For all that's great about this story, for all I loved, I'm just not sure it was executed very well. Empress of All Seasons is a stand alone novel, but I feel it should have been at least a duology. Before Mari leaves for the Palace of Illusions, everything was great, it was paced well, and nicely developed, us learning about the yōkai, the Animal Wives specifically, and their lives. But once she gets to the palace, everything changes. Everything happens super quickly, and is over before you know it. In terms of reading time, we spend very little time at all in each of the seasonal rooms. While for Mari hours are going by, for us, it's just a chapter. And yes the rooms are brutal, and some of the things she witnesses, some of the things the other contestants do are awful, but you barely get time to feel anything or react before it's moved pass. The book is 366 pages long, with three narrations. You get very little time with each narrator, so everything happens quickly; the competition, the plans with the revolution, the romance between Mari and Taro. There was no romance. They know each other for a matter of days, and fall in love without really knowing each other. It happens for too quickly, there's no real development to it, so I didn't feel it. I didn't believe it, and I didn't really care - there was no time to care. And the relationships Mari forms with her other contestants could have been so, so beautiful, with characters we could have really grown to love, but everything moves so fast we don't get the chance.

As I said, I think this book should have been a duology. In my opinion, everything that happens after the competition has ended should have been it's own separate book. The first book could have built up the relationships more; the friendship between Akira and Hanako, the romance between Mari and Taro, the friendships and sisterhood between Mari and fellow contestants Asami and Lori. It could have built on the time spent in the seasonal rooms, spent more time on each, making them feel as terrible as they're described. And then the second book could have dealt with the resulting outcome of the competition, the revolution, the betrayal, the war. This story could have been so incredible if it was longer, if it was developed more. Everything is there! It has everything it needs to be an amazing story, but it felt rushed, and I never felt all that connected to the characters or the plot. I was more invested in learning more about the world and it's various inhabitants than I was in the actual story, because everything happened too quickly for me to become invested. And it's such a shame. The story ends with the possibility of companion novels, but whether they'll happen or not, I don't know.

There is so much about this story that is undeniably awesome, but I was disappointed overall. A number of people really enjoyed Empress of All Seasons, though, so do read some other reviews before deciding whether or not to read it.

Thank you to Gollancz via NetGalley for the eProof.

*All quotes are checked against a final copy of the book.

[girlinthepages]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Empress of All Seasons may be another title in a sea of YA fantasy releases, however it immediately stood out to me within the first few chapters for several reasons, the strongest being the feminist themes and inversion of tropes generally associated with the male and female privilege in society. Protagonist Mari lives in a village comprised of shape shifting "Animal Wives" who are a kick-butt, take no prisoners, matriarchal society who highly value the birth of female children over males. The plot centers around a competition for warrior girls to win a male's hand in marriage while he sits idly by as the prize. The protagonist's value is constantly reiterated to be in her strength, her tenacity, and her cunning, and not whatsoever in her beauty. I didn't know about most of these elements of the story going into the book, but they alone would have been enough to compel me to read it even if I wasn't already planning on doing so. Empress of All Seasons is a lush, diverse fantasy that's not afraid to commit to the feminist themes it weaves throughout its plot.

Told in a three part POV structure, the most compelling chapters were those narrated by protagonist Mari, who has been training all of her life training for a deadly competition that could make her the empress. I appreciated how Mari's strength and purpose as a characters was rooted in her physical and mental capabilities rather than her appearance, but the story also didn't go so far as to make her hideously unattractive- she's just a rather plain, average looking person living among a community of unusually beautiful women. The message of the book didn't go so far as to say "attractive people are evil," rather it highlighted that there are plenty of plainer looking people out there who have just as unique and important capabilities as beautiful people. The balance the story strikes surrounding this topic is just right.

As can be inferred from the synopsis, the main focus of the plot is Mari's participation in the daring and deadly competition to win the prince's (and future emperor's) hand in marriage, by defeating and surviving the four "seasonal" rooms in the Palace of Illusions. I was worried that the story would feel too Hunger Games-ish with the whole "battle against other young adults and the last one standing wins" premise but it was actually surprisingly unique. The Palace of Illusions holds four doors, each one leading to a seasonal realm where participants have to survive the elements and obstacles thrown at them, solve a riddle, and then find a scroll that allows them to move on to the next room. It was interesting to see what kind of seasonal challenges were thrown their way in each room, and I found myself interested by the juxtaposition between the dangers the competitors faced in the seasonal rooms compared to the fond memories the prince had of playing in them growing up (for example: horrifying, deadly blizzard vs. serenely ice skating during a gentle snow fall). However, one of my biggest disappointments during my reading experience is that I wish more page time had been dedicated to the competition rounds inside the rooms- the first room (Summer) is fleshed out pretty well but we spend progressively less and less time in each room as the story goes on, and the numbers drop really rapidly (from hundreds of competitors to just ten between the first and second seasons).

As mentioned previously, the book had two other POV characters aside from Mari- Prince Taro and "Son of Nightmares" Akira. In a twist that will likely surprise no one, a love triangle ensues, that's definitely susceptible to some insta-love since the book takes place over the course of just a few short days. Honestly (I feel like I say this increasingly in my reviews) this story would have been just as strong (if not STRONGER) with less romance. I understand why some was needed since it is a competition for marriage after all, but I found myself not invested in any of the ships and kept eagerly awaiting when I could return to Mari's chapters.

Perhaps the uniquest thing about Empress of All Seasons for me was the inclusion of folklore and myth about the Pantheon of Gods in the fictional universe. Every so often (usually before entering a seasonal room) there would be a short little vignette telling the tale about gods/goddesses that explained some seasonal or natural phenomenon- how humans and yokai (chimera like creatures) were created, why winter happens, etc, and the end of the novel actually wraps up with one of these stories too in a way that ties all of the loose ends of the plot together potentially a little abruptly, but it was cool to see Mari's story immortalized along with the other myths that were included I'm always intrigued to see religion/mythology included in books especially fantasy where it really adds to the world building.

Overall: Empress of All Seasons' commitment to feminist themes and dedication to its world building make it a unique choice among YA fantasy novels. While the story ended a little abruptly for me and I could have done without the multiple POVs, I greatly enjoyed Mari's journey, the unique settings of the seasonal rooms, and matriarchal themes throughout the story. This review was originally posted on Girl in the Pages

[Kat @ Novels & Waffles]

Empress of All Seasons is a love letter to Japanese culture that boasts a unique storyline and beautiful world-building. Plot-driven and full of empowering themes, Emiko Jean’s fantasy novel is a must-read for lovers of asian folklore.

THINGS THAT GREW ON ME:

•The world’s beautiful mythology was shared in bits and pieces throughout the novel, starting with a magical prologue that draws clear inspiration from the Japanese creation myth of Izanagi and Izanami. The folklore of the mythical land of Honoku is well-crafted and ties in wonderfully to the main story.

•The first two-thirds of the novel were slow, but once I hit that last stretch, BAM! So much heart-racing action and plenty of surprise twists! The ending delivers an empowering message about the far-reaching influence women can have and that happily ever after doesn’t always have to include a Prince. The conclusion thawed my Arendelle-frozen heart and turned it all cute-fuzzy-kittens warm.

THINGS THAT WERE HOT:

•The Japanese Representation was